"50 Shades of Grey" Opens August 2014

The Sam Taylor-Johnson directed film adaptation of the E.L. James novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" has scored an August 1st 2014 release date through Focus Features.

This puts the DOM/SUB heavy romantic drama out of the way of the major blockbuster titles, but still in the busy Summer movie season.

While that date is confirmed, a more interesting rumor sprang up a few hours before over at THR which suggests that the studio is considering a simultaneous premium VOD and theatrical release (though a studio rep has denied it).

While a lot of indie films take the dual release route these days, many have been waiting for the day when a film with such a potential mass audience and mark in the cultural zeitgeist tried the great experiment. Will theater owners stand for it?